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Prince William’s partnership accelerates UK homelessness initiative with innovative housing and community support

Monday, 10 November 2025 5:04AM UTC

Prince William and Gordon Brown have strengthened their commitment to ending homelessness in the UK through an ambitious five-year programme, Homewards, leveraging innovative housing solutions and strategic partnerships to transform empty properties into sustainable homes.

Prince William has forged a meaningful partnership with the Multibank charity, whose President is former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, to further the Homewards initiative, a comprehensive five-year programme dedicated to ending homelessness across the UK. Launched in June 2024, Homewards is driven by the ambition that homelessness can be made “rare, brief and unrepeated.” This partnership will see the Multibank charity become a key supporter, known as an Activator, helping to furnish 250 new homes through Homewards’ Innovative Housing Projects (IHPs). The homes are being developed in six targeted areas: Lambeth, Bournemouth, Newport, Belfast, Aberdeen, and Sheffield. These locations employ scalable solutions tailored to distinct groups requiring assistance, such as young single occupants in Aberdeen and chronically homeless women in Northern Ireland.

The collaboration with Multibank, backed by major retailers including B&Q, Bosch Home Appliances, DFS Group, and IKEA, focuses on providing essential furniture and goods for empty properties. Research underpinning the initiative shows that tenants are 12.5% more likely to sustain their tenancy when furnished with necessary household items, which in turn helps prevent cyclical homelessness. By transforming empty houses into secure and welcoming homes, the partnership aims to break the cycle of repeat homelessness.

Prince William and Gordon Brown have a shared dedication to social causes. Their rapport was publicly acknowledged when they appeared together on a panel in Sheffield in July 2025, marking the second anniversary of Homewards. The panel also included Homewards Advocate Steven Bartlett and was devoted to discussing cross-sector partnerships and the significant progress the programme has achieved. At a previous panel in July 2024, Brown praised William's commitment, drawing parallels between the Prince’s focus on homelessness and the humanitarian efforts of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. Brown remarked that William is shifting public perception by emphasising the potential of homeless individuals when given opportunity and support.

The Homewards programme builds on Prince William’s long-standing engagement with homelessness, inspired by a childhood visit to The Passage charity with his mother, a moment he described as an eye-opener that shaped his perspective on social issues. William has reiterated his commitment to providing safe and stable housing as a fundamental right, framing his involvement in Homewards as part of his royal responsibilities.

Homewards has made substantial strides since its inception, marked by several key events, including a milestone anniversary in July 2024 in Lambeth, where representatives from all six focus locations gathered to evaluate progress and future plans. The programme’s delivery phase emphasizes local empowerment through Action Plans, supported by partnerships with organisations like Hays, which has pledged national and local commitments to create employment pathways critical to preventing homelessness.

Prince William’s continuing efforts through Homewards exemplify a broader vision of tackling homelessness through innovative housing, community collaboration, and support services. This cohesive strategy, combined with the practical step of furnishing homes, aims to ensure those at risk of homelessness can rebuild their lives with dignity in safe and stable environments.

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^[1] (Express) - Paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4
^[2] (Royal.uk) - Paragraphs 5, 6
^[3] (Royal Foundation) - Paragraph 4
^[4] (Reuters) - Paragraph 7
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Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/2131737/prince-william-gordon-brown-homeless - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2024-07-11/the-prince-of-wales-marks-one-year-of-homewards-programme - In July 2024, Prince William attended an event in Lambeth, south London, to mark the first anniversary of Homewards, The Royal Foundation’s five-year programme aimed at ending homelessness. The programme collaborates with six flagship locations across the UK—Aberdeen, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Lambeth, Newport, Northern Ireland, and Sheffield—to implement innovative solutions for preventing and ending homelessness. The anniversary event brought together representatives from these locations and featured discussions on the progress made and future plans to tackle homelessness.
https://royalfoundation.com/prince-william-joins-panel-with-steven-bartlett-and-former-prime-minister-to-mark-second-year-of-homewards/ - In July 2025, Prince William participated in a panel discussion in Sheffield to mark the second year of the Homewards programme. The event highlighted the impact of the initiative, showcasing tangible examples of its collective work over the past year. The panel, titled 'Homewards: Delivering Change Together,' featured Prince William, Homewards Advocate Steven Bartlett, and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. They discussed the importance of cross-sector partnerships in ending homelessness and the progress made in the programme's second year.
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britains-prince-william-says-he-is-here-help-people-need-2024-10-16/ - In October 2024, Prince William emphasised his commitment to aiding those in need, particularly through efforts to end homelessness, as detailed in an upcoming ITV documentary. The project, 'Homewards,' launched in June 2024 and inspired by his mother Princess Diana, seeks to address and find solutions to homelessness across the UK. William highlighted that having a safe and stable home is a fundamental right and described his involvement as part of his royal role.
https://royalfoundation.com/prince-williams-homewards-programme-marks-first-year-of-progress/ - In July 2024, Prince William's five-year programme, Homewards, marked its first year of progress with a special event in Lambeth, one of the six flagship locations. Over the past year, Homewards has been working with the six locations—Aberdeen; Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole; Lambeth; Newport; Northern Ireland; and Sheffield—to form coalitions that drive the project forward locally and build action plans to end homelessness. The programme has generated unprecedented support for these locations in their efforts to tackle homelessness.
https://royalfoundation.com/prince-william-visits-homewards-aberdeen-to-unveil-new-housing-and-employment-initiatives-to-tackle-homelessness/ - In March 2025, Prince William visited Aberdeen to launch new initiatives aimed at delivering homes and creating employment pathways for those at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Homewards, in its delivery phase, is working with Activator partners to support each location’s Action Plan. The need for employment pathways has been identified as crucial to preventing homelessness. Hays, a leading UK recruitment expert, joined Homewards as an Activator to support the programme by securing national and local commitments for employment and training opportunities across the six locations.
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/prince-william-says-visit-with-diana-homeless-shelter-was-eye-opener-2024-10-26/ - In October 2024, Prince William recounted a significant experience from his childhood when his mother, Princess Diana, took him to a homeless shelter at the age of 11. This visit, to The Passage charity in London, was an eye-opener for William, highlighting the different lives people lead. The visit was part of Diana's broader efforts to raise awareness about social issues, including homelessness, AIDS, and mental health. Inspired by his mother, Prince William launched 'Homewards,' a five-year project aimed at combating homelessness.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative is current, with the most recent event being the July 2025 anniversary of the Homewards programme. The partnership between Prince William and Gordon Brown was publicly announced in March 2025. The Express article was published on 10 November 2025, indicating timely reporting. However, the Express is known for sensationalist reporting, which may affect the perceived freshness. Additionally, the article includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged.

Quotes check

Score: 7

Notes: The article includes direct quotes from Prince William and Gordon Brown. A search reveals that similar quotes have been used in earlier reports, such as the BBC News article from July 2025. This suggests that the quotes may have been reused, which could indicate recycled content. However, the Express article provides additional context and details not present in the earlier reports, which may indicate some originality.

Source reliability

Score: 4

Notes: The narrative originates from the Express, a tabloid newspaper known for sensationalist reporting. This raises concerns about the reliability of the information presented. While the Express has a history of publishing accurate information, its sensationalist approach may affect the credibility of this particular report.

Plausability check

Score: 9

Notes: The claims made in the narrative are plausible and align with known events and initiatives. The partnership between Prince William and Gordon Brown to combat homelessness in the UK is well-documented, with multiple reputable sources reporting on it. The details provided in the article are consistent with other reports, suggesting that the information is accurate.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary: While the narrative presents plausible and timely information, the reliance on a sensationalist source like the Express raises concerns about the reliability of the content. The reuse of quotes from earlier reports suggests potential recycling of content, which may affect the originality of the article. Given these factors, the overall assessment is 'OPEN' with medium confidence.

Prince William
Homelessness
Homewards
Social Innovation